September 2018

Dorothy Ann Bjerk, 85, of Owatonna, Minnesota, died Tuesday, September 25, 2018 at her home surrounded by her loving family.

Visitation was at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Saturday, Sept. 29 from 10-11 a.m. Memorial services were held September 29, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church with The Rev. Kirk Griebel officiating. Memorials are preferred to donor’s choice or Redeemer Lutheran Church.

She was born December 3, 1932 in Milford, Iowa, the daughter of Oscar and Fleeta (Smith) Larsen.

Dorothy grew up in Alta, IA and attended Fairview High School with her siblings. She enjoyed playing the trumpet and was a member of the girl’s basketball team. After graduation, Dorothy married Willard Fjordbak, January 14, 1951, in Truesdale, IA.

In hopes of finding good news about rural communities that can help us rebuild the population of small towns and the countryside surrounding them, we are continually searching for headlines such as: “Rural Upbringing Raises Kids’ Future Earnings.” And, “Rural Childhood Contributes to Later Economic Success.”

If through these stories we can build a narrative that makes families think about moving here, maybe we can reverse the unsettling of rural America.

“Rural areas are more likely to have a combination of factors that help poor children succeed in the labor market later in life,” Bill Bishop writes in the Daily Yonder, a website covering rural issues. “Raj Chetty’s massive national study turns conventional wisdom on its head about the best places to grow up.” Chetty is an economist at Stanford University.

STATE OF MINNESOTA
COUNTY OF SWIFT
EIGHTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT
DISTRICT COURT
PROBATE DIVISION
Court File No.: 76-PR-18-480
Estate of HANS J. HANSON,
Decedent
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NOTICE AND ORDER FOR HEARING ON PETITION
AND DESCENT OF PROPERTY
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A Petition for Determination of Descent has been filed with this Court. The Petition represents that the Decedent died more than three years ago, leaving property in Minnesota and requests the probate of Decedent’s last Will dated March 11, 1980, if any, and the descent of such property be determined and assigned by this Court to the persons entitled to the property.

Visitation was be held Thursday, Sept. 27, from 5-7 p.m. at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Benson, with a 4:30 p.m. rosary and a 7:00 p.m. Parish Prayer service. Visitation continued one hour prior to the Mass of Christian Burial, which was held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 28, at the Church of the Visitation Catholic Church in Danvers. Interment was at the Visitation Catholic Church Cemetery in Danvers.

Minnesota’s very warm May 1 through Sept. 16 period has spurred crop development well ahead of average with maturities and field activities four to 11 days ahead of schedule.

All area crops, even those not planted until May 15 due to a delayed spring planting because of very cold and wet conditions in April, are also fully mature.

Corn planted May 1 reached 2,559 growing degree-days as of Sunday, 275 ahead of the average of 2,284 for crops planted May 1. It is also 209 days past the 2,350 days needed for the corn crop to reach full maturity.

Corn planted May 15 has reached 2,419 growing degree-days, 135 days ahead of the average for corn planted May 1. It was 69 days past the average growing degree-days needed for maturity even though planted two weeks late.

Sunday combines could be seen in area fields harvesting soybeans, nearly a week earlier than average for the start of the harvest....

As the City of Benson works to develop a strategic plan for how it will invest the $20 million coming its way over the next four years from Xcel Energy, it is focused on ensuring three groups that it is doing its due diligence in spending the money wisely.

It wants to show the Minnesota Legislature and the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission that it has a developed a detailed plan with specific goals, spending priorities and sought-after outcomes that will meet the need to replace the loss of Benson Power, LLC.

Benson’s council also wants to show the citizens of the community that it will spend the money wisely following a plan laid out with the input of civic and community leaders. It wants citizen input on the challenges that need to be met to make the community more successful as well.